


Starting a book from the middle

by andthestorystarts



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: AU, Human AU, Jack Frost in a waistcoat imagine that, Librarian AU, because I sure am, god i love au's
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-29
Updated: 2013-03-14
Packaged: 2017-11-27 10:07:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/660735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andthestorystarts/pseuds/andthestorystarts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Where Jack Frost is a cheeky snow-haired librarian who has a habit of wearing a waistcoat and a charming smile- Jamie never had a chance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The start can be difficult to get through

**Author's Note:**

> I love au's okay. Love 'em.  
> And I also love books.  
> And so, this came into play.

Jamie hadn’t been to the library in an _age_.  
  
He had been able to get a job at a small second-hand bookstore, which had satisfied most of his bookish needs.  
  
The only reason that he was going now was because he had found out that his sister(who was temporarily staying with him while their parents were on holiday. It was sometimes a bit odd, a teenager staying with someone in their early to mid-twenties,) had never read the Sherlock Holmes stories, and he couldn’t have that, and he bluntly refused to let her go anywhere near his copies. He didn’t trust her with them.  
  
So, library it was.  
  
-

As he stepped inside, the warm air felt almost heavenly after his walk through the snow outside. A shock of white hair poked into his range of vision, the only other person he could see, and he skipped over them, assuming that one of the nice older ladies were at the checkout again.  
  
He gave a little hum and headed off to the section where he knew the Holmes stories were kept.  
  
He was just glad that the place never changed anything around, otherwise he might have had to ask where things were, and he always hated doing that.  
  
It took him a few minutes to find the right selection of books he wanted, since for some reason people decided to lump particular stories into one big book and other stories mixed with some of the same stories from the last book into another book- it made sense if they were in front of you.  
  
As he drifted toward the checkout desk, he was looking at the back of one of the books- and almost banged into an unexpected shelf at one point because of it.  
  
The person at the desk had taken his card and most of the books before Jamie put down the last one, after finishing the back.  
He finally looked up,  
and his jaw dropped.  
  
-

Jack hadn’t been working at the library for that long in working terms, just a month or two. But he was already able to remember the faces of the regular visitors, and could tell when someone was an occasional one.  
  
Barely anyone was in the library, though it wasn’t surprising since people would have to venture out of their homes and into the snow to get here.  
But some of the faithful regulars had popped in, possibly to return a book, maybe to pick up another.  
He honestly had nothing to do by the time that this guy walked in, someone who he didn’t recognize, but by the way how he went straight over to a particular shelf said that he knew the place well.  
He leant back in his chair, watching the new arrival scan the spines of some books, then pick out a few, piling them into his arms.  The guy was reading the back of one of them and almost collided with a shelf as he was crossing the room, which made Jack bite back a quiet snicker.  
It happened to every reader on multiple occasions, including himself, and they got used to it, though that didn’t mean that the act itself didn’t look funny to someone else.  
  
He shifted to standing when the guy got near the table. The arrival had gotten out his card beforehand and had put it on top of the books, which saved time.  
Jack was always thankful for people like that. It avoided the shifting-standing awkwardness by both parties.  
He had taken the bulk of the books before the guy placed the last one down, and had had begun running them through the scanner, swiping them so they wouldn’t set off the alarm when the guy left.  
While he did so, he noticed that all of the books were Sherlock Holmes.  
None of the shitty copycatted stuff, but the proper ones, by Conan Doyle.  
That got the guy almost instant respect.  
  
He looked up, already asking, ’Hey, would you like your receipt?’ and noticed that the guy was looking at him.  
No, scratch that,  
 _gaping_ at him.  
A little bit like a fish.  
Albeit a rather attractive fish.  
  
Jack waved his hand in front of the guy’s gaze, seeing him click back into the world.  
He gave a little grin before he said, ‘Hey, welcome back to reality. Do you want your receipt?’  
  
The guy turned red when he seemed to realise that he’d been looking at Jack like that, gave an almost violent shake of his head, then half-grabbed for the books, shoved them in his bag and scampered out of there.  
  
Jack had a small, slightly incredulous smile on his face, and watched him until he disappeared out of sight, out the door and around the corner.  
He let out a little huff of a laugh, and pondered this man until one of the regulars tapped on the desk, wanting to take out a book.  
He gave them a smile, apologized for spacing out, and went back to work, though the memory of the man ticked at the back of his mind.  
  
-  
  
About the only thought that Jamie gave to the snow was to check the books were in his bag, safe from getting wet. The rest of him was like a dog with a bone, returning to the man at the desk and what an idiot he had made of himself.  
The guy was probably laughing at him right now.  
But really, how could he not stare? The guy was absolutely stunning- And if Jamie was being less polite, also _really_ fucking sexy.  
Especially in the waistcoat he’d been wearing.  
With a plain white long sleeved button-up shirt that had the sleeved rolled up to the elbow, what had looked like jeans, and a waistcoat, plus that smile of his- the guy was like a wet dream walking and talking.  
Complete strangers, Jamie decided, should not be allowed to be that attractive.  
  
-  
  
It was a couple of weeks later, and Jamie was facing a dilemma.  
And it simply boiled down to- He needed to take the books back- well, and he needed something to read. The problem was, everyone he knew never went to the library. His sister bluntly refused to go when he asked, and everyone else didn’t want to go because of the weather. They preferred to stay in their snug little places rather than go outside, which made sense.  
But he really needed to return the books.  
And the reason why he didn’t want to go himself, was because the librarian might be there.  
The one who he looked like a complete moron in front of.  
  
Eventually, he just decided to go. The guy might not even be there, after all. Might not remember him, even if he was.  
  
-  
  
He took a breath before he stepped inside, partially wishing that the guy was there- because he was a serious piece of eye-candy- and also fervently hoping that he wasn’t.

  
He decided to not even check, dropping the books in the return slot and starting to browse the shelves.  
  
In a little while, he had enough books to keep him going for a bit, and he headed over to the checkout. He had momentarily forgotten about the white-haired guy, since the books had distracted him. Now, however, how could he forget when the guy was sitting right there.  
  
Right. Fingers crossed to him not remembering you.  
 _Fat luck that is._  
  
He placed the books on the desk, with his card on top, looking at the surface of the desk.  
  
‘Hey, I remember you.’  
  
Jamie almost jumped out of his skin at the voice.  
  
There was a small chuckle. ‘No need to be so jumpy, kiddo.’  
  
Jamie looked up, and blinked.  
Same guy, slightly different waistcoat, an even better grin.  
Oh that was in absolutely no way _fair_.  
  
-  
  
‘Sorry for, uh, well, gaping at you last time. I just-’ the guy trailed off and made a sort of I-don’t-know gesture.  
  
Jack was still smiling- a genuine smile, too.  
‘That’s okay. Things happen.’ He started checking out the books.  
  
The guy visibly relaxed at this, and Jack was suddenly curious. ‘Why, were you worried about me thinking you’re some type of weirdo?’  
The wince he received made the answer something like a _yes._

  
A small laugh. ‘Oh don’t worry, I’m probably weirder than you sometimes.’  
  
The guy raised an eyebrow at that. ‘Oh really?’ He asked, ‘How?’  
  
Jack gave this a small amount of thought, then grabbed the first example he came up with.  
‘I’m not wearing shoes or socks right now.’  
  
The other eyebrow joined its partner. ‘Really?’  
  
Jack gave a nod. ‘Oh yeah. I always forget that I only own thin shoes, so by the time I go anywhere in this kind of weather they’re soaked through. My bosses like me enough that I can get away with not wearing any here. It doesn’t affect how I do my job, after all. I leave the shoes and socks to dry in the staff room.’ He gave a small, slightly cheeky smile. ‘And plus, the carpets rather nice in here.’  
  
He had finished with the books, and had them in a neat pile, ready to be taken.  
‘And Jamie, you do know that libraries have chairs, yes? Which means that you don’t have to leave the second that you’ve got the books you wanted. You can sit and read, if you want.’  
  
Jamie looked taken aback at the mention of his name.  
‘How- how did you know my name?’  
  
‘I have the awesome ability of being in a position to read peoples names on their library cards.’ Jack replied.  
  
‘Well then you have me at a disadvantage. You know my name but I don’t know yours. Care to share?’ Jamie was smiling by now, former embarrassment put to the side.  
  
‘Jack.’ He stuck a hand over the desk. ‘Nice to meet you, Jamie. Gaping and all.’  
  
Jamie coloured a little at that, but took his hand and gave it a shake, holding it for a moment or two longer than most people considered normal.  
  
‘You know, I might do that. Sit and read, I mean.’ He gave a look at his watch, then made a face. ‘But not right now. I’ve got to get back to my kid sister. She’s probably bored enough to start chewing at the walls at any second.’  
  
Jack gave a little grin. ‘Ah, I know that feeling. Some other time, then?’  
  
Jamie looked at him, didn’t reply for a second, then a small smile began to creep across his face. He took the books from Jack, putting them in his bag like last time, and gave a nod, the smile still there, and getting bigger. ‘Yeah, some other time.’  
  
-  
  
Jamie was really trying not to think of it as a date.  
It was nothing more than a guy inviting him to sit and read at a public library- at which said guy worked.  
Nothing out of the normal.  
  
…. Maybe.


	2. Turn to the index, but don't peek ahead.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where a lollipop makes a visit to the library very interesting indeed,  
> where both Jack and Jamie find that they're Sherlock Holmes fans,  
> and where a reference is not-so-subtly slipped in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is talk of the Sherlock Holmes stories, and an El Dorado reference   
> And I had so much fun with one particular scene.  
> Try and guess which one.  
> Should be easy.

Jamie had never said when he was going to come in, so that meant that Jack had to pass every single day wondering if he would walk through the doors, and trying not to get his hopes up.   
  
A few days passed like this, the hours passing slowly, while Jack tried to keep his mind off of the man. He had met him twice and only talked once, for crying out loud.   
  
The short time span did absolutely nothing to stall his interest to know more about the guy. Only seemed to increase it, in fact. He’d met the guy for a grand total of around seven minutes, and now he wanted to know everything about him.   
  
He had no idea _why_ , just that he did.   
  
-  
  
Jamie felt a little unusual, going to a library to read.   
Well that wasn’t really the odd part, since he had often done so, but usually he found a book while there, not bringing one in the first place.   
  
On the other hand, ‘usually’ didn’t include a Jack.   
So he was willing to step off the beaten usual track, and start along the unusual one.  
  
-  
  
The heating in the library was fairly good, luckily. However, Jack had a habit in the colder months, of wearing a pair of darkish purple fingerless gloves, which reached halfway up his forearms. It’s not like he actually needed them, but it was just one of those little quirks. He had been wearing them both of the times that Jamie had been round.  
  
About the only time that he didn’t wear them while in the library was when he was reading. From time to time they got caught on the pages and they generally were a little irritating. Right then, they were laying on the checkout desk in front of him.   
  
He read when it was quiet, when there were barely any people in the library to disturb him. He sometimes didn’t notice for a while that someone was standing right it front of him. He got away with it because almost all of the people on those kinds of days who came to the desk were the same type of people. The kind to block out reality, to get absorbed into the world inside the book, to wander around inside of it.   
  
He continually fiddled with the thin stick that was poking out of his mouth.   
He also had a habit of eating sweets when he wasn’t doing anything. Which again, was technically not allowed, but the higher-ups liked him enough to tolerate it.  
Today, it was a lollipop.   
He was always careful, keeping his mouth shut when he had a sweet, being extra careful around the library’s books.   
The one that he was reading then, however, was one of his own, so he could treat it however he wanted.   
  
He had been reading for a while, had long since shut out any world that wasn’t on the pages in front of him.  
  
So it was understandable that he didn’t notice Jamie coming inside.   
  
-  
  
Straight away Jamie knew that pose. A little hunched in the chair, eyes straight at the book, no looking up, not even moving too much with the exception of turning a page.   
He himself had been forcibly pulled out of books before, and it hadn’t been nice. So he went to the table closest to the checkout desk, sitting down, angled so that he was facing Jack, to see if he came out of the book world at some point.   
  
He had pulled out a book of his own, and had gotten a few pages read before his eyes flicked up to check on Jack, and subsequently fixed there.  
Jack was obviously still reading, but he was also still eating the lollipop.   
It was obvious that his body was on autopilot, since it was moving slower than usual, not having as much thought put into actions as normal.   
But that made it sound a bit like a science experiment.  
No, what Jamie noticed was Jack’s tongue slowly dragging over the sweet, before repeating the action.  
Jamie’s imagination instantly started kicking up a fuss, making itself known, making itself heard, loud and clear. He crossed his legs, one over the other, so a certain something was a little less visible.   
At this point, Jack had switched, and was now biting it, ever so gently, teeth barely resting on the lolly, lips on it, until he drew it out with a quiet _pop_.  
Jamie’s mouth went dry, and he really shouldn’t be thinking things like this in a _library_ , Jesus _Christ_ …  
The line was drawn when Jack took the lollipop into his mouth, and started to suck on it, cheeks hollowing.   
Jamie made an involuntary, slightly strangled noise.   
…And Jack looked up.  
  
Jamie was fairly sure that he flushed a bright red before his forehead thumped onto the table, his book still upright, hiding him a little.  
Well then.   
How to explain that.  
  
He could hear Jack’s chair being pushed backwards, screeching a little, and his footsteps.  
 _Oh lovely._  
  
Jamie didn’t look up when Jack stopped, then sat down in the chair next to him.   
_Well, crap._  
  
‘So,’ he heard. ‘What was that about?’  
  
Jamie didn’t say anything for a few seconds before he answered, slightly distorted, since his cheek was still pressed to the table, ‘I was merely demonstrating the, um, traditional, uh, first avoidance maneuver.’   
  
There was a pause from both of them until Jack spoke.  
‘Nice try but I know for a fact that that’s a quote from _El Dorado_. Tulio said it when he was trying to bullshit his way out of why he had ducked the ball.’  
  
Jamie gave a wince. He hadn’t expected Jack to know the movie.   
  
Jack continued. ‘And you’re trying to take a leaf out of his book and are trying to bullshit your way past something.’   
  
There was a moment or two of quiet.  
  
‘Speaking of books, what were you reading that you were so into?’ Jamie asked, his book now closed, and he was now sitting up properly, hoping that the flush had gone away. His changing of topics was so obvious that he would have raised an eyebrow if it were somebody else.   
  
And Jack did just that. Jamie got a raised eyebrow, but Jack didn’t press the issue.  
  
  
Jack leant back in his chair, the front two legs coming off the ground. ‘Sherlock Holmes. The proper deal by Conan Doyle, not any of the copycat writers.’ He made a face.  
  
‘You’ve read them?’ Jamie sounded a little surprised, though glad. Sort of a stupid question though. Librarian. Usually meant they’ve read a lot. Part of the job description.  
  
‘Of course. Read them first when I was fifteen. Loved ‘em ever since.’ Jack gave a wave of his hand. ‘When you got them out the first time you were here, I realized that I hadn’t read them in a while.’   
  
‘The only reason that I was getting them out was because my sister hasn’t read them and I don’t trust her with my ones. I have a few copies. My last boyfriend had hated how I had so many of them, actually. He didn’t read. Obviously the wrong guy for me.’  
  
Jamie could see Jack still for a moment, and cast him a look out of the corner of his eye, that seemed to be something bordering on thoughtful, like he was trying to figure something out.   
  
The moment broke, and Jack was back to how he was before.  
‘So you’re perfectly willing to risk library books to the wrath of your sister?’ They both could even _hear_ the smile in Jack’s voice.  
  
‘Absolutely,’ Jamie replied without a pause, a smile hidden in there too.  
  
-  
  
Twenty minutes later, they were in the practically deserted part of the library, sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, while someone covered for Jack at the checkout.  
  
They had swapped their favourite Holmes stories(They were both rather fond of _The Final Problem_ , though it was neither of their favourites.) Jamie’s was _The Empty House_ , though he pointed out that he didn’t really think it was in character for Watson to faint, and Jack agreed wholeheartedly. Jack’s was _The Speckled Band_. 

They had both agreed that the short stories were better than the long ones, because(no offense to Doyle) the long ones dragged on a fair bit.  
  
It had taken a while for one of them to address it, but eventually Jamie blurted out,   
‘Holmes and Watson were obviously gay together, right?’  
  
Which spawned a few long, awkward seconds before Jack started laughing.  
He managed between the hitching laughs, something like,  
‘Oh god, yes. _Obviously._ ’  
  
Jack’s laugh was infectious, and both of their laughter turned from being about Watson and Holmes, and into pure inability to stop.

-  
  
When his smile was hurting, when his stomach was absolutely aching from laughing, and when he could hear the other man in the same state as him, both of them with quiet, barely-there laughter that would be loud if they had enough air,   
  
Jack wondered if he could fall in love with him.


	3. Flipping through the chapters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They both stepped into the parking lot, where there were a few cars, and where Jack was walking-  
> ‘You ride a motorcycle?’  
> Jack looked up from where he was fiddling with the bike and his mouth twitched up into a smile. 
> 
> ‘What were you expecting me to drive? A beat-up Toyota or something?’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was actually only meant to be a short bit at the start of this chapter but it sort of evolved and turned into a chapter by itself.  
> Also I'm being corny and keeping the book theme for the titles going because I'm weird like that.
> 
> Comments and feedback are always appreciated! -3-

A few weeks past, and the two grew closer. Jamie now spent most of his time at the library, to the extent that Sophie had noticed.  
  
Once, Jamie had walked in while Jack was serving an elderly woman. He could _feel_ the grin stretching on his face when he saw him.  
The woman had turned around, probably to see what had caused the reaction, and had looked back and forth between them a couple of times.  
She looked back at Jack and gave a smile, the kind that older ladies seemed to give when they find something cute or sweet. ‘Ah, young love.’  
  
-  
  
Jamie saw Jack turn back to the woman he was serving, a blush spreading on his cheeks, and he seemed to be denying whatever she had said, shaking his head and saying something.  
  
When Jamie had asked about it when she had left, Jack had gone red again and had sidestepped the question.  
He had looked thoughtful for the rest of the day.  
  
-  
-  
  
Another time, Jamie had tapped the window, where the snow was slowly piling up outside.  
‘You know, your name suits this weather. Jack Frost.’  
Jack responded to that with a slightly exasperated look on his face, which was shortly followed by a quiet laugh.  
‘You have no idea how many times I’ve heard things like that.’  
  
-  
-  
  
Flash forward a few days, Jamie had stepped outside and had been met by a blast of cold air, and had looked at the piles of snow with an expression of dismay. He had walked, and it must have snowed a lot during the time he’d been in the library. He didn’t fancy the idea of slogging through the snow, since that wouldn’t make for him being a happy camper.  
  
Jack stepped out a minute or two later, when Jamie was still in the little alcove of the doorway, wondering how he’d get back with minimal snow attached.  
  
Jack had pulled a blue hoodie(with stitched frost over the cuffs and around the neck) over his other clothes, and had slipped his socks and shoes on. He was heading home, since he had finished his shift.  
He had looked at Jamie’s expression, then out at the snow, let out a little huff of a laugh, and passed Jamie a thicker, tougher jacket that he had been about to put on himself.  
‘Put that on and come over here.’  
  
They both stepped into the parking lot, where there were a few cars, and where Jack was walking-  
‘You ride a motorcycle?’  
Jack looked up from where he was fiddling with the bike and his mouth twitched up into a smile.  
  
‘What were you expecting me to drive? A beat-up Toyota or something?’  
  
Jamie’s shoulder lifted into a shrug. He hadn’t really given it much thought, to be honest. And now that he’d seen the motorcycle under Jack’s hands, he couldn’t really picture him driving anything else.

On the _other_ hand, now that he’d seen Jack with the bike he couldn’t get the image of Jack straddling previously mentioned bike out of his head.  
  
He realized with a small jolt that he actually had a chance to see that.  
  
‘Are you going to stand there forever or are you going to hop on?’ Jack asked, tossing a spare helmet to Jamie.  
  
Jamie was only half paying attention at the time, and had only caught it out of instinct. He didn’t realise what it was until he turned it over.  
‘Are you offering me a lift home?’  
  
He got a small grin. ‘What, don’t you trust me? As a matter of fact, I am. Now put on the helmet and get on before the offer expires.’  
  
Jack had done up his own helmet, and now swung a leg over the bike, sitting down, then leaning forward a little to do something with the bike that resulted in the engine starting. Jack turned back toward Jamie.  
  
‘Seriously. If you’re not on the bike within the next minute I’m leaving without you.’  
  
Now _that_ got Jamie to pay attention, as do as told, clipping the helmet on and shifting over to the bike. The next thing he knew was that he was sitting on the bike, admittedly a little nervously. He had never ridden on a motorbike before. Not to mention the fact that he was very close to Jack.  
  
‘Dude if you’re going to sit as stiff as a plank, you’re going to fall off on the first corner we get to. Put your arms round me and scooch forward a bit, otherwise that might actually happen.’  
  
When Jamie complied on the scooching but hesitating with the arms, Jack gave a slightly exasperated sigh.  
He turned, grabbed Jamie’s hands, and pulled his arms around him, linking his hands together, and letting them settle around his hips.  
  
Jack asked where he lived, and Jamie told him, getting a little ‘Ahh,’ sound in return.  
  
‘I would remind you to hold on, but that’s probably going to kick in soon.’ He pushed the kickstand up with his heel, before his wrist twisted down, toward himself, and they were moving. Slow at first, while turning out of the parking and into traffic, but getting faster.  
  
True to Jack’s words, Jamie’s grip had tightened the second they had started moving, to which he got a little laugh from Jack.  
  
At first, Jamie was quietly freaking out about how there wasn’t a sheet of metal between him and the road that was rushing past, but little by little he relaxed, getting more used to it.  
  
His grip on Jack had eased, and now Jamie was practically hugging him more than holding onto him.  
  
He could feel the muscles in Jack’s back as he moved, and from his point of view, the occasional flurried of snow that blurred his vision slightly, making the world seem much smaller, like they were the only people in town.  
  
-  
  
Jamie was an ever-constant presence behind Jack, warmth seeping from him, keeping the cold from the snow at bay for just that little while longer.  
It was impossible to forget he was there, the warm weight of his chest against his back, the arms looped around his waist.  
  
Jack rather liked the position he was in, and so by the laws of the world, the ride took a much shorter time than he would have expected or liked.  
  
He didn’t get off the motorcycle when he pulled up to the curb and parked, since he didn’t expect to be there for very long, just until Jamie went in the door.  
He thought he saw a wink of gold in one of the windows above, and dismissed it as being another tenant.  
  
‘I do believe that this is your stop.’  
As Jamie got off and unclipped the helmet, handing it back to him, Jack continued. ‘Thank you for choosing Jack’s motorcycles for all your traveling needs.’   
  
It got him a genuine smile that he had expected, and for that he was glad.  
What he hadn’t expected, however, was someone barreling out of the door with the same flash of gold he had seen in the window, shortly followed by a groan from Jamie, and a facepalm.  
  
A girl, probably in her late teens, stood on the pavement next to Jamie, hands clasped to her chest, looking at Jack a little eagerly.  
‘Is this the guy you’ve been going on about?’  
Which got a raised eyebrow from Jack and yet another quiet groan from Jamie, which earned him a soft punch in the arm from the girl.  
  
‘Jack, this is my kid sister Sophie. Sophie… this is Jack.’  
  
‘So it _is_ the guy you’ve been talking about!’  
  
Jack’s eyes skipped between the both of them, then he raised a hand and gave a small wave to the girl.  
‘Hey, Sophie.’  
  
She gave him a nod and a wave in return, then turned back to Jamie, darting glances to Jack every now and then.  
‘You never said he was such a looker!’  
  
Jamie was trying _very_ hard not to look at Jack right then, the tips of his ears turning red- and not because of the cold.  
  
‘Alright, you’ve met him now. You can shove off back inside.’ He made a shooing motion with his hands, which resulted in Sophie sticking her tongue out at him, but doing as he said, giving both of them a long look before she did so.  
  
There was a few beats of quiet before Jack said, a smile hooking his mouth upwards,  
‘You’ve been “going on” about me, huh?’  
  
Jamie flushed red, and made some muttering noises that Jack couldn’t hear, then shrugged out of the jacket Jack had told him to put on earlier, pressing it into his hands, lingering for a second.  
  
‘You do realise that the second I get up there she’s going to pester me with questions about you?’  
  
‘As long as you don’t spread any bad rumors about me, then I’ll be fine with anything you tell her,’ Jack smiled when Jamie went a slightly darker shade of red.  
  
He took the jacket, shaking it open and pulling it on.  
  
There was a few long, drawn out seconds where they simply both looked at each other until the gold flashed in the window again and Jack looked down at the ground, then back up at Jamie, his hand that wasn’t on the motorbikes handle going up to ruffle his hair- a nervous tic that he’d never bothered to get rid of.  
  
‘You gonna come in tomorrow?’  
  
Jamie’s replying tone said that the answer was obvious, and the look in his eyes was soft.  
  
‘Of course I am.’


	4. Reading some crucial details wrong can change the whole plot.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘I said, get out.’ She was still smiling, which made it all the more scarier. 
> 
> ‘This is my flat, you do remember.’
> 
> ‘Yes, and I am your sister. One of which you can replace if need be. Now, get. Out.’ Her eyes were glinting, slightly dangerously.
> 
> ‘Why?’
> 
> ‘To fix things up with Jack.’
> 
> -
> 
> Jamie was practically pushed out of his own flat, and he heard the lock click behind him right before Sophie called out happily, 
> 
> ‘Don’t fuck it up this time!’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much fun writing Sophie you have no idea.  
> And I've been planning this chapter for a while now, so it was interesting to see how it actually came out.
> 
> Comments and feedback are always appreciated! -3-

A fair amount of the time, when Jamie came into the library, Jack was busy, since his job wasn’t to socialize. But a lot of the time, it was just something simple, something that Jamie could tag along with.  
  
This time, it was returning the books to their shelves.  
  
-  
  
Jack treated the books with care. He never liked it when they got returned damaged, but he couldn’t do anything about it. So he treated them carefully when he was putting them away, not sticking them any old where like _some_ sorry-ass excuse for librarians did, sometimes bending the paper in the process.  
  
He had a habit of trailing his fingers over the spines of the books after he put them back, wondering what kind of person would be the next ones to pick them up.  
Every once and a while he would flick through the pages of one of the copies in the to-be-shelved basket while he was still in the aisles, and a line would catch his eye, and he would stand there until he came back to his senses and shut the book, slotting it into it’s correct place.  
  
Jamie would help shelve, and he would tap Jack on the shoulder, bringing him back into the world after he’d been gone in the book he had picked up for too long. Jack had to admit that the shelving got done faster since Jamie was in the picture.

They’d been talking quietly for a while, whilst they put books away, when Jack brought up what Sophie had said the only time he’d met her.  
  
‘Hey, you know what your sister said?’  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Jamie go still, then shift, seeming embarrassed.  
‘Yeah, what about it?’  
  
‘Well, you talk about me a lot to her. Why?’ A quiet, slightly nervous laugh bubbled up, and his mouth had switched onto autopilot, saying things without running it past his brain first. ‘Do you like me or something?’  
  
The second he said it, he had the immediate want to take it back out of the air, erase it.  
Unfortunately, it isn’t that easy to do.  
  
  
Jack had been looking at the bookshelf for nearing five seconds now, and there hadn’t been any noise from Jamie.

At all.  
  
No spluttered refusal as he had expected, no nothing.  
  
He decided that turning around might be a good idea at this point.  
So he did just that.  
  
Jamie was simply standing there, staring at him, looking like a rabbit caught in the headlights.  
  
There also seemed to be an element of something close to ‘Oh _shit_ ’ in his expression too.  
  
The silence confirmed it more than any yes could have.  
  
Jack felt his expression shift fractionally, into something surprised.  
He hadn’t actually expected-  
Jamie-  
Holy _crap_.  
  
Jamie’s mind seemed to finally kick back in, and he blinked rapidly, then looked down at the book in his hands, giving a little shrug. ‘W-well, you know, Sophie tends to exaggerate…’  
  
‘That wasn’t a denial.’  
  
Jamie didn’t say anything, and Jack stepped closer, barely even aware that he was doing so.  
  
Still, Jamie was quiet, and didn’t move, though was following Jack with his eyes.  
  
Jack stopped in front of him, and he could see Jamie swallow.  
  
‘That very definitely wasn’t a denial.’  
  
Jamie looked like he was about ready to drop the book he was holding and scamper off at any second.  
  
Then Jack leaned forward and kissed him.  
  
For a second, just a bare moment, Jamie leant into it, before he broke away from it, jerking backwards, taking a step behind him and almost tripping over a pile of books in the process, eyes skittering everywhere that was _not_ Jack.  
  
‘Um, I-I just remembered, I have to- uh, go.’  
  
He placed the book in the basket, then- still not looking at Jack- exited the library as fast as he could.  
  
Jack was left standing there, genuinely not sure what he’d done to make him leave, slightly confused, and getting more so every second.  
  
-  
  
He hadn’t been back to the library for a few weeks, and he was starting to go stir-crazy.  
  
Jamie lay stretched out on the floor of his flat, holding a pillow over his head.  
  
‘Whyyyyy...’  
  
He let the word trail off into a groan, and was lightly kicked in the shin a couple of seconds afterward.  
  
‘Go _away_ , Soph. This is all your fault anyway.’ His words came out muffled.  
  
He squinted as the pillow was taken away and light hit his eyes.  
  
‘I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you properly through this thing. Now, what’s all my fault?’  
  
Jamie mumbled something and shook his head, crossing his arms over his eyes.  
  
‘Jamie, something’s up, even I can tell that. You have barely left the flat for anything other than food or work, and you avoid any conversation that could lead to Jack.’  
  
She got a wince at the librarian’s name.  
  
‘So, it’s something to do with him. Tell me.’  
  
Jamie shook his head.  
  
‘Tell me.’  
  
‘No.’  
  
‘Why not?’  
  
‘Because it’s none of your business!’  
  
‘You’re almost driving me insane with how you’ve been acting the last few weeks, so I say it is my business. _Tell me._ ’  
  
He knew that she would never give up on this matter, so, stumbling and pausing in a couple of places, he did.  
  
-  
  
When he had finished, Sophie simply blinked at him.  
  
‘So he kissed you?’  
  
‘..Yeah.’  
  
‘And you ran away?’  
  
She was met with silence for that one. She sighed and gave a little grumble- something about boys being idiots, then asked another question.  
  
‘Well why the _hell_ would you do that?’  
  
It took Jamie a few seconds to spit out the answer.  
  
‘Because of the look on his face when he realised that I do actually like him.’  
  
‘What was it?’  
  
‘He looked… well first it was just blank when he was still working through it, then when he had, it changed into something… something that looked like pity.’  
  
Sophie’s eyebrow raised.  
  
‘Pity?’  
  
‘Yeah.’  
  
She was quiet or a long while, then finally replied, ‘Could it have been surprise?’  
  
Jamie’s eyebrows drew together fractionally, and he blinked. ‘What?’  
  
Sophie let out a little huff. ‘Jamie, I love you but your expression-reading skills leave a lot to be desired. Basically, they’re shit. Remember the birthday fiasco? You thought that I was screaming when that kid cut into my cake when I was actually laughing.’  
  
Jamie rubbed the back of his neck and was looking at the carpet.  
  
‘Anyway, back to the topic. Could it have been surprise?’  
  
It was a very, very long time till Jamie quietly answered, ‘Maybe.’  
  
‘Is there anything since you met him that seemed out of place, or something that you didn’t know why he did?’  
  
Jamie’s mind supplied many, many different sets of examples, though he didn’t tell Sophie that.  
  
Apparently, she was better at reading expressions than he was.(Though that wasn’t really difficult.)  
  
‘I’m going to take that as a yes, there was.’ Sophie blew out a breath, and continued. ‘Now, add in the factor that he actually likes you. _Likes_ you likes you. Do his actions and words make sense now?’  
  
The response she got from Jamie was a half-yelled,  
  
‘Holy _SHIT._ ’  
  
‘I’m going to take that as a yes.’ Sophie said again.  
  
She clapped her hands together once, then gave Jamie a sweet smile- the one that always meant trouble for him.  
  
‘Well, now that you’ve gotten that through your thick skull, get out.’  
  
Jamie just blinked at her.  
  
‘I said, get out.’ She was still smiling, which made it all the more scarier.  
  
‘This is my flat, you do remember.’  
  
‘Yes, and I am your sister. One of which you can replace if need be. Now, get. _Out._ ’ Her eyes were glinting, slightly dangerously.  
  
‘Why?’  
  
‘To fix things up with Jack.’  
  
-  
  
Jamie was practically pushed out of his own flat, and he heard the lock click behind him right before Sophie called out happily,  
  
‘Don’t fuck it up this time!’  
  
-  
  
The first week after Jamie had ran, Jack had spent most of his time a little bewildered. The second, and he crossed into confused and irritated.  
The third was much the same.  
As was the fourth.  
  
Jack automatically looked up as the doors opened, and he stilled for a moment. _Jamie._ He gave himself a little shake and forced his gaze back down, and continued flipping through the pages of the book in front of him, checking for damage. Except now he was a little distracted. He ignored the little flip his heart had done at the sight of the man.  
  
 When Jamie approached the desk he was at and looked like he was about to speak, Jack cut in before he could get a syllable out.  
  
‘Do you have a book you want to return or something? By how long you’ve been away, it will probably be overdue, but it’s best to turn it in so the fee doesn’t continue going up.’  
  
His tone was cold, as was his body language, a little stiffer than usual, still not properly looking at Jamie, keeping his eyes on the books.  
  
He felt like if he looked at him, then he’d lose some -if not all- of his self-control and just blurt out something stupid.  
  
Which was never good.  
  
He could hear Jamie take in a breath, before he started talking.  
  
‘Jack, I’m sorry if my actions the last time I was here did something to offend you-‘ Oh lovely, a rehearsed speech. ‘-but I came to try to explain myself.’  
  
Jack placed the book he’d been looking at in the basket, then grabbed the next one, and started flicking through it.  
  
When it was fairly obvious that he wasn’t getting a response, Jamie gave a little sigh, and kept talking.  
  
‘I’ve never been any good at interpreting facial expressions, which has caused some big screw-ups at times. Apparently last time I was here was one of the bigger screw-ups.’  
  
Jack didn’t really see where this was going, so he didn’t say anything.  
  
A small pause, which he guessed was Jamie waiting for a reply.  
He didn’t get one, so he went on in a rush, words half blurring together.  
  
‘I may have thought- for some idiotic reason or another, probably low self-esteem- that it was a pity kiss.’  
  
Jack stilled at that, like someone had hit pause.  
  
‘And I-‘  
  
Jack’s hand slammed down on the table, and he finally looked up at Jamie.  
  
‘Why in _hell_ would you think it was a pity kiss?’  
  
There was a quiet shushing noise from the other side of the library and Jack scowled in its direction.  
  
Jamie gave a one-shouldered shrug and his mouth worked for a few seconds before he actually found something to say.  
  
‘Because I’m an idiot?’  
  
‘Damn straight you are.’  
  
Jack’s anger was draining away, and when the corner of Jamie’s mouth hitched up into a small smile, his own followed suit.  
  
He let out a breath, eyes going back down to the book laying on the table’s surface.  
  
‘So, what’s your response to it now that you know that it wasn’t out of pity?’  
  
He was fiddling with the corner of the book now, a bit nervous.

  
He heard Jamie shuffle around on his feet a little, before replying, ‘Well, I’d sure as hell like a repeat- that doesn’t include me running away.’  
  
Jack looked up, at Jamie’s nervous half-smile.  
  
He was slammed with the urge to be kissing him right _now_. And the desk was in the way.  
  
Jack gave a quick side-to-side check that there wasn’t any higher staff around, then quietly climbed onto the top of the desk, bare feet making much less noise than shoes would have.  
  
It only took a step until he was dropping easily onto the carpet on the other side.  
  
‘That was unsanitary, you know,’ Jamie commented.  
  
‘It’s not like people are going to lick it,’ Jack countered.  
  
Jamie’s answering smile was to Jack like finally getting rain after a drought.  
  
Jack really, really couldn’t resist that smile. So he leant in.  
  
Last time, Jack hadn’t had any time to enjoy it, since Jamie had jerked away so fast.  
Jamie’s mouth was warm and soft, and parting ever so slightly-  
  
The muted mumbling that had been going on since Jack had stood on the table rose into cheers and a volley of claps- and a wolf whistle or two.  
They both pulled away from each other, and turned to the source of the noise.  
  
Every single one of the regulars were all still clapping at them, plus one elderly voice yelling ‘IT’S ABOUT DAMN TIME!’  
  
Jack pointed into the small crowd, and his voice rose till it could cut through it.  
  
‘I know that was you, Hilary!’ He was smiling, and his hand slipped down to find Jamie’s, fingers overlapping.  
  
‘Shall we ignore them?’ He asked Jamie.  
  
Who was smiling almost uncontrollably at this point, and who gave a shrug melded with a nod. ‘We really shouldn’t encourage them.’  
  
‘They’ll keep looking at us whether or not we do anything. Might as well give them something to cheer about.’  
  
Jack pulled him in, one hand resting on Jamie's hip, and the other starting to softly card through his hair when he kissed him, and the noises behind them grew even louder. 


	5. The part of the book where you want to whack your head against the nearest flat surface

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It had been a few weeks since Jamie had started visiting the library again, after they made up -and out- and had slipped into the category that they were in now. They hadn’t really put a label on it, since they hadn’t felt like they had to. They were simply them, no label needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so sorry it's been a while since i updated. the end of this chapter gave me hell. i've found out that i can't write comfort and i'm sorry that it's shit. /hides/ also oops i made the father a complete dick i'm sorry. next chapter will be happy and fuffy, i promise! 
> 
> Comments and feedback are always appreciated!(and usually flailed happily at)

It had been a few weeks since Jamie had started visiting the library again, after they made up -and out- and had slipped into the category that they were in now. They hadn’t really put a label on it, since they hadn’t felt like they had to. They were simply _them_ , no label needed.  
  
They were both slowly getting used to the fact that they were now allowed to simple things they hadn’t been able to do beforehand. Like letting their hand rest on the others arm for that little bit longer, or kissing when the urge struck, not having to tamp it down and ignore it.

-  
  
Jamie occasionally worried about telling his parents. It wasn’t that he was ashamed or anything, it’s just that his father was a bit.. uh, religious. Not that being religious was bad, or anything.  
He tended to bring up god whilst in arguments. Jamie didn’t really know why, but it was something about his father that never changed.  
He did seem to believe, but didn’t try to spread it and wasn’t hardcore about the whole thing.  
The problem with that was, whilst his fathers parents brought him up like that, slightly religious, they also seemed to have brought him up homophobic.  
Which, understandably, was a source of trouble for Jamie.  
  
And so, when Sophie was back to staying with their parents and Jamie came round for tea one night, and about halfway through his mother asked if there was anyone special in his life, Jamie had to pause for a moment.  
He eventually gave a nod, ‘Yeah, there is,’ then proceeded to shove a forkful of peas into his mouth so he’d avoid having to say anything else for the next few seconds.  
The look on her face, a small soft smile, indicated that not only did his mother know that, she already knew a little bit about them- including that he was a guy.  
He glanced at Sophie, who’s gaze immediately shot down to her own plate and started looking a little twitchy, which was her version of guilty.  
He really should have thought about whether or not she’d keep her mouth shut to their mother.  
On the other hand, there wasn’t really a question of whether she would, just how long she’d have kept a lid on it.  
  
Apparently, not very long.  
  
The next person to talk was his mother.

  
‘Do you think it’s working with them?’  
  
‘I think so, yeah. I’m just wondering when they’re going to notice that they’re too good for me.’ This was followed by a slightly joking, though partially worried smile.  
  
It seemed that it was Sophie’s turn to pipe up, and she did so without thinking first. ‘Jamie, you know that Jack is crazy about you, you really shouldn’t worry about tha- _Ohshit_.’  
  
Both Jamie and his mother had frozen at Jack’s name, and Sophie did so after she clapped a hand over her mouth.  
  
Their father had paused, then glanced up.  
  
‘-And of _course_ Jack is short for Jackie, I mean that much is _obvious_ -‘ Sophie was starting to babble and that was never good, not to mention transparent.  
  
However, Jamie would have taken the hastily thrown-together babble over what his father said, cutting over Sophie’s talk.  
  
‘You seeing another man, son?’  
  
Jamie swallowed, though he had no need to, other than to clear the block in his throat. He looked down at his plate, pushing his peas around with his fork. He swallowed again, and gave a nod, knowing that his father had seen by a little huff coming a second or two after.  
  
‘You know that’s wrong.’  
  
Jamie looked up, blinking for a second before his eyebrows pulled together in a frown. ‘Praytell, how is it _wrong_ , father?’  
His voice had gone cold, anger starting to leak in.  
  
‘You’re laying with another man, you’re going against god. You must know that that’s wrong, son.’  
  
Sophie could tell from the way that Jamie clenched his teeth together how badly he wanted to yell and scream at their father.  
  
‘If god created everyone, and if being gay is a sin, then why did he make people and stuff inside them an irremovable one-way ticket to hell?’  
  
‘If you have a little faith, I’m sure you can change. It’s not too late, you can wash this sin away.’  
  
Jamie’s knuckles were starting to go white where he was gripping the table. ‘I can’t _change_ , and nor do I want to. It’s just how I am. I can’t magically go straight any more than I could pick to be born a girl.’

‘It’s _wrong_ , no man should sleep with man.’  
  
‘Well then, only sleeping, what about everything else?’  
  
‘You know what I mean.’  
  
‘Yeah, you keep saying. That it’s “wrong”. Why is it wrong, dad? Because we both have the same body parts and can’t biologically pass down the family line together?’  
  
‘I don’t care about grandchildren! It’s just wrong! It’s not normal, or healthy.’  
  
Jamie’s chair screeched against the floor, protesting in the short quiet before Jamie was talking again, louder, angry.  
  
‘Healthy. Is that what you go with? Really? Because being straight can be worse, it just depends on if you’re careful, just like anything else in this world. As to normal, it is completely normal. You can’t tell who’s gay or straight just by looking at them, not for sure. Out on the street, passing you a ticket, handing you your goddamn groceries, anyone can be gay, dad, and it’s not a sin. Did you know that some teenagers actually kill themselves because they’re being bullied because of being gay? _That’s_ what’s not normal, or healthy- that’s the bullies, dad, and at the moment, you’re one of them.’

Jamie had to take a deep breath, and he knew that he should stop, should shut up or leave, but he had spent years in earshot of this man, and he had heard things that he’d said about gays, and now he was sitting in front of him, telling him that he, his very son, was _wrong_. Not just about a trivial problem in a test or something, but himself. His _father_ was telling him that his very _self_ was wrong. And he couldn’t let that stand.  
  
‘And you have absolutely no right to tell me who I can and can’t be with. It’s my life and I’m not letting you tamper with it.’  
  
A long breath in, and none of them moved, or said anything.  
  
This time, a few seconds later, when Jamie spoke, he was calmer, and looked bone-deep _tired_ , the anger mainly drained out of him. ‘And anyway what’s wrong with loving a man?’

Sophie gave a tiny squeak through her closed fingers.  
  
His father was looking shocked, and his mouth opened as if he was about to say something, though nothing came out.  
  
Sophie took this moment of quiet to get up from her chair and tug Jamie out of the room, pushing him gently out the door, taking him away from their parents.

  
‘Jamie..’  
  
‘Soph, don’t give me a lecture now, I can’t-‘  
  
‘A lecture? Why the hell would I do that? I’ve been waiting for you to give him a verbal slap in the face for _years_ now.’ When Jamie gave her a surprised look, she just waved her hand, pushing the topic away. ‘But you seriously look like you’re going to either cry out of frustration or fall over, neither of which are good.’ Jamie had to grudgingly admit that she was right. ‘So, do you think you can get back safely?’  
  
Jamie gave a nod, and felt a little silly, being asked that by his younger sister.  
  
She gave him a pat on the shoulder, and her tone was affectionate. ‘Then get your ass home.’  
  
-  
  
Then again, the definition of ‘home’ is relative. The one that most people think of, if asked, is along the lines of:  
 _1 **.** A place where one lives; a residence._  
  
But, if you swerve off the lines a little, you get:  
  
 _2\. An environment offering security and happiness._  
  
And right then, Jamie didn’t want to go back to his empty flat and stew in his thoughts until he fell asleep. He wanted the second definition.  
So, he headed towards the place that was already like a second home.  
He went to Jack.  
  
-  
  
He stood staring at the wood of the door for a long time, worry chewing at his insides. He wasn’t entirely sure _why_ he was worried, but he was nonetheless.  
  
Just as his hand rose to knock, the door opened, Jack’s expression something close to worry crossed with slight confusion. ‘Jamie? I saw you through the window, are-are you okay?’  
Being asked by him, in that worried tone, made tears prick in Jamie’s eyes. He tried o blink them away, but he knew that it was pretty obvious anyway.  
  
‘My dad’s a homophobic bastard, is all.’  
He spit the sentence out, not even really wanting to think about the guy.  
  
Jack’s expression shifted into something like understanding, and he gently pulled Jamie inside.  
  
A few minutes later found them on the couch, Jack’s hand slowly pushing through Jamie’s hair, and Jamie half curled up on his lap.  
  
Jamie hadn’t particularly wanted to talk about it, so they had simply sat there.  
  
At some point, Jack had started softly humming under his breath, which soon evolved into quiet singing, something that sounded like a lullaby.  
The only part that Jamie managed to catch, was close to,  
 _‘_ _Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme._  
 _Remember me to one who lives there, he once was a true love of mine.’_  
  
Jamie drifted off to sleep before he was able to hear the rest. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the song that Jack is singing is called 'Scarborough Fair' and it has many different versions. the one that i was thinking of, was this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiZJP_XLmrQ  
> go listen to it. it's a lovely song.  
> also i apologize that this chapter is bleehh. i really can't write comfort. next chapter will be better. pinky promise.


	6. The lope towards the finish line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘But I don’t even know if- Yes I’ll ask, but- Okay, okay, wait a second.’
> 
> He shifted the phone down, pressing the mouthpiece against his shirt.  
> There was no doubt that he was nervous as he looked at Jamie.
> 
> ‘Uh, my mother might be trying to rope you into coming over.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is more of a filler and cuteness I suppose. and the next chapter is the last one(sorry guys)

The weeks trickled by, turning into months before either of them realised it.   
  
Jamie was stretched out on the couch reading a book when Jack’s voice filtered through into the fantasy world.   
_‘_ Wait _what?_ Uh no I don’t think it’s problem- Well, I can’t really say no to you, can I mum?’ To Jamie, Jack sounded a little nervous, which was unusual. Jamie looked up at him, where he was talking on the phone, and caught his expression. Yep, definitely nervous.   
  
‘When is it?’ Jack had reached for a pad of paper and a pen, and had started scribbling something down, phone held between his shoulder and his ear- something Jamie always failed at- when his hand jerked to the side, likely leaving a messy unwanted mark, before it quickly went back up to the phone, pen still held between his fingers.   
  
_‘Tomorrow?_ ’ Jack’s voice went up an octave, and it reminded Jamie of that one time he had heard a customer come into the library and tell Jack that his dog had chewed up all ten books he had taken out. (That whole thing had ended with a headache all round.)  
  
Now, however, he had absolutely no idea what was going on with the other half of the conversation.  
  
  
‘But I don’t even know if- Yes I’ll ask, but- Okay, okay, wait a second.’  
  
He shifted the phone down, pressing the mouthpiece against his shirt.  
There was no doubt that he was nervous as he looked at Jamie.  
  
‘Uh, my mother might be trying to rope you into coming over.’  
  
He was met with a blink of surprise, and started to babble a little, an automatic reaction of _I don’t know what to do and I’m nervous_  
‘I mean, you don’t- you’re not being forced to come, but she’s pretty enthusiastic about the idea, and I’ll never hear the end of it if you don’t, and she says that both her and Emma _really_ want to meet you, and-‘  
He took in a breath. ‘And I probably should shut up before I start talking about chickens or something.’  
  
Another blink, then a small smile edged it’s way onto Jamie’s mouth.  
  
‘Chickens?’  
  
Jack made a quiet noise and flapped his hand, giving a little eye roll.   
  
‘Are you okay with me being there? It is your family, after all.’  
  
Jack’s answering expression was a serious face, but he spoke with an edge of a joking tone.   
  
‘Mum and Emma will skin me in my sleep if you’re able to come and don’t.’  
  
‘Well if they’re okay with having me there, then absolutely.’  
  
Jack gave him a soft smile, and he lifted the phone back to his ear.   
‘He’ll come.’  
  
Jamie could hear the excited reply from where he was sitting.   
  
-  
  
The car trip there was uneventful, and they talked about little things, simple things, or just sat in comfortable silence.   
  
It was only when they were nearing the house that Jamie began to get nervous.   
‘What if they don’t like me?’  
His voice was quiet, but Jack heard him, and took one hand off the steering wheel to place a reassuring squeeze of his thigh.   
‘I know my family, and believe me, they’ll absolutely _adore_ you.’   
  
-  
  
When Jack knocked, both of them could hear a scrabbling and what sounded like some kind of bottle or plate smashing, and a few seconds passed before the door was flung open, and behind it was a grinning teen, who Jamie assumed was Emma.   
  
She was making little hops like she couldn’t stand still.   
  
‘Is this him?’

Jack lifted up one of the bags he was carrying and dumped it in her arms.  ‘No, I brought a stripper.’ 

At Jamie’s spluttering noise a grin stretched over Jack’s face, like he had said it simply to get a reaction out of him, ‘Okay, yes it’s him.’  
  
An older lady came out of what looked to be the kitchen, wiping her hands on the apron she was wearing.   
  
‘Mind introducing us?’  
  
Jack rolled his shoulder, which was now free from the weight of one of the bags. He started doing as asked, point at each person in turn.   
  
‘Jamie, this is my mother, Alice, and my sister, Emma. Dad’s probably cleaning up whatever Emma managed to break in the mad scramble for the door.’   
Emma looked a tad guilty at that.  
‘You two, this is Jamie.’  
  
Emma- even though she was around Sophie’s age- dropped the bad Jack had dumped on her and immediately lunged towards Jamie and wrapped her arms around him- before he could even say hi, almost knocking him over in the process.   
‘I can’t believe you’re actually here! I mean, you’re about all that Jack talks about on his calls home, according to mum. And we finally get to meet you!’  
  
Jamie looked over to Jack, who was sort of trying to hide his face for a few moments by scratching the back of his neck so that his elbow blocked him slightly.  
‘I don’t talk about him _all_ the time..’   
Emma gave him a look.   
‘Okay, most of the time.’  
  
‘You know what?’ Emma’s attention fixed back to Jamie when he spoke. ‘I think you and my sister would get along fabulously.’   
  
Jack gave a little chuckle.   
  
‘That they would.’ 

Then, a voice Jamie didn’t know piped up, belonging to the mother.   
  
‘Emma, stop assailing our guest and go hug your brother and help him in with his bags.’   
  
The response to that was a pouty face that had Jamie thinking, _‘I can definitely see the family resemblance there,’_ before she relinquished her grip on him and went to do so.   
  
Jamie turned to Alice, automatically raising a hand to shake, before getting crushed in yet another hug.   
  
‘Wow you’re all really huggy, huh?’ He managed, though he was smiling.   
  
She pulled back, and gave a grin. ‘I’m sorry if it’s making you uncomfortable, it’s just that he hasn’t actually brought anyone with him before, and I’ve never heard him talk about anyone so much.’   
  
Jamie looked over at Jack, whose grin was wide as he teased Emma. ‘I guess I’m lucky, then.’   
  
Her head tipped to the side and she gave him a look.   
  
‘I think that you’re both lucky.’  
  
-  
  
The next day, when Jack was being distracted once again by Emma, asking if he’d brought anything for her, Alice sidled up to him again.  
  
‘Would you like to see a photo album?’   
   
-  
  
‘This is Jack? Really?’  
  
Jamie’s mouth was curved in a half-incredulous smile as he looked at the picture, of Jack, younger and grinning wildly at the camera, hair mussed and all of his clothes muddy from playing soccer.   
  
‘He’s about fifteen there. Didn’t play much, but still loved it when he did.’ Her smile was fond as she looked at the picture.   
  
She flipped to another one, this time of a class shot. However, now in the photograph, Jack’s hair was the colour that Jamie was used to seeing.   
‘One of his friends, Aster, dyed Jack’s hair white when he was seventeen. They and a few others were here for the night, and he did it as a prank. You should have seen their reactions when _he_ didn’t react any more than a look in the mirror and a “huh.” He became fond of it, so he’s kept it.’   
  
Another turn of the page, and Jamie blinked at the picture of little baby Jack in the crib, all chubby cheeks and soft wisps of hair and little hands curled into tiny fists and looking curiously about him.   
  
He was about ninety three percent sure that he made a kind of weird breathless gurgle at the sight.   
‘He was so adorable!’  
  
He could feel Alice’s eyes on him.   
  
‘You can keep that one, if you wish.’   
  
‘Oh no I can’t. It’s yours.’   
  
‘I have a lot more, don’t you worry that pretty little head of yours.’

Jamie reached over and pulled her into a hug. ‘Thank you.’  
  
He smoothed out the photo, looking at it for a couple more seconds before carefully tucking it away in his pocket. Then, he stood up, the photo album in his hands, giving Alice a small wink, then grinned, heading towards where Jack and Emma were.  
  
‘Hey, Jack! Guess what I fouuund~~~’

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even know what I'm doing any more.


End file.
